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Organised by
RogerDodger
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400–750
Or Best Offer
“And how much am I bid for this fine example?” Carrot Top said, leaning over her podium. She pointed her gavel at Bulk Biceps and flicked her eyebrows up and down.
“Yeah!” he shouted.
“We’ll open the bidding at twenty bits.” A hoof soon raised, and Carrot Top went up two bits at a time, to the right, to the left, and back again. And when the rapid-fire talking had ended…
“Sold! For forty-two bits, to Fluttershy!”
Fluttershy trotted to the stage and beamed up at Biceps. “I thought we could go to the botanical gardens. All the cherry blossoms should be blooming tomorrow!”
He did a little dance on the tips of his hooves. “Ooh, flowers!”
Derpy had to laugh. Ever since they’d spent time together on Ponyville’s team for the Equestria Games, the whole group had gotten closer. Most of them, that is—everypony already seemed to like Rainbow Dash, anyway. But Bulk Biceps and Fluttershy had gotten to be good friends, and despite what anypony else might think, they could have a little fun without it meaning any more than that. Besides, it was for charity.
“Next, in our junior division,” Carrot Top called out, “Spike the dragon!”
Derpy giggled at the fillies whispering to each other. Kids. They didn’t know. Twilight would have given Spike some money for a fun little activity, and the girls were more interested in the ice cream or trip to the arcade that might buy than actually being there with Spike, but then Spike cared more about that, too, so good for them. Heh. Even Dinky had thought about spending two weeks’ allowance for the chance to dress up and go to Hay Burger just for the fun of it.
“We’ll start at a quarter-bit!”
Within a couple of minutes, Sweetie Belle had won for two and a half bits, and she went up front to claim her prize, jabbering about what movies were playing this week. So cute. Back when things were simpler.
Derpy let out a sigh, but her ears perked up when she saw the next bachelor stride out on stage. Well, not exactly stride—more like get shoved out on stage.
Carrot Top winked at the crowd. “Big Macintosh! I think we can start at forty—”
“Forty!” Cheerilee shouted.
“Forty-five!” countered Junebug.
Carrot Top didn’t have to do anything. The crowd took over for her, jockeying back and forth five bits at a time, sometimes ten. At least four mares put in bids, but Derpy couldn’t keep track. She’d broken out in a sweat, and she pulled her wallet out to look at the scrap of paper with her checking balance scrawled on it.
With one last glance at her shred of possibilities, Derpy squeezed her eyes shut. “Two hundred twenty-eight,” she said. Quietly, but not so soft that Carrot Top couldn’t hear. A breach of etiquette at only going up three bits, but to be honest, she’d have to dig through the couch to find the loose change that would make the full increment.
She didn’t dare look, but she didn’t hear anypony else, either. Then the gavel banged, and she opened her eyes, and everypony near her patted her on the shoulder and smiled. Did she… did she win? She didn’t know. Big Mac walked off the stage, and she didn’t follow. She didn’t know.
Derpy spread out a blanket in the park and unpacked a basket of simple daisy sandwiches. “I’m sorry,” she said to Big Mac, and he wrinkled his brow. “I can’t afford… I spent it all on… never mind.” Just a lark. What was she even doing?
She hung her head and took one of the carrot sticks out of the paper bag. A gasp sounded next to her, followed by a low chuckle. Then Big Mac powered through two sandwiches. When Derpy looked up, he’d pulled a slip of paper out from under his collar.
“Um,” he said with a blush, “seems we had the same idea. But then you went and took yourself out o’ the auction after winnin’ me, and…” He tore up the paper and grinned.
What? Her legs trembled, and she couldn’t… couldn’t breathe… Her head started swimming, but… the good kind. If it was true.
A warm foreleg settled over her withers, and after a minute, the sparkles faded from her vision. “Tell you what. Tomorrow, dinner’s my treat,” he said.
She nodded and grinned and shook and—and even cried… the good kind. “I’d love to.”
“Yeah!” he shouted.
“We’ll open the bidding at twenty bits.” A hoof soon raised, and Carrot Top went up two bits at a time, to the right, to the left, and back again. And when the rapid-fire talking had ended…
“Sold! For forty-two bits, to Fluttershy!”
Fluttershy trotted to the stage and beamed up at Biceps. “I thought we could go to the botanical gardens. All the cherry blossoms should be blooming tomorrow!”
He did a little dance on the tips of his hooves. “Ooh, flowers!”
Derpy had to laugh. Ever since they’d spent time together on Ponyville’s team for the Equestria Games, the whole group had gotten closer. Most of them, that is—everypony already seemed to like Rainbow Dash, anyway. But Bulk Biceps and Fluttershy had gotten to be good friends, and despite what anypony else might think, they could have a little fun without it meaning any more than that. Besides, it was for charity.
“Next, in our junior division,” Carrot Top called out, “Spike the dragon!”
Derpy giggled at the fillies whispering to each other. Kids. They didn’t know. Twilight would have given Spike some money for a fun little activity, and the girls were more interested in the ice cream or trip to the arcade that might buy than actually being there with Spike, but then Spike cared more about that, too, so good for them. Heh. Even Dinky had thought about spending two weeks’ allowance for the chance to dress up and go to Hay Burger just for the fun of it.
“We’ll start at a quarter-bit!”
Within a couple of minutes, Sweetie Belle had won for two and a half bits, and she went up front to claim her prize, jabbering about what movies were playing this week. So cute. Back when things were simpler.
Derpy let out a sigh, but her ears perked up when she saw the next bachelor stride out on stage. Well, not exactly stride—more like get shoved out on stage.
Carrot Top winked at the crowd. “Big Macintosh! I think we can start at forty—”
“Forty!” Cheerilee shouted.
“Forty-five!” countered Junebug.
Carrot Top didn’t have to do anything. The crowd took over for her, jockeying back and forth five bits at a time, sometimes ten. At least four mares put in bids, but Derpy couldn’t keep track. She’d broken out in a sweat, and she pulled her wallet out to look at the scrap of paper with her checking balance scrawled on it.
With one last glance at her shred of possibilities, Derpy squeezed her eyes shut. “Two hundred twenty-eight,” she said. Quietly, but not so soft that Carrot Top couldn’t hear. A breach of etiquette at only going up three bits, but to be honest, she’d have to dig through the couch to find the loose change that would make the full increment.
She didn’t dare look, but she didn’t hear anypony else, either. Then the gavel banged, and she opened her eyes, and everypony near her patted her on the shoulder and smiled. Did she… did she win? She didn’t know. Big Mac walked off the stage, and she didn’t follow. She didn’t know.
Derpy spread out a blanket in the park and unpacked a basket of simple daisy sandwiches. “I’m sorry,” she said to Big Mac, and he wrinkled his brow. “I can’t afford… I spent it all on… never mind.” Just a lark. What was she even doing?
She hung her head and took one of the carrot sticks out of the paper bag. A gasp sounded next to her, followed by a low chuckle. Then Big Mac powered through two sandwiches. When Derpy looked up, he’d pulled a slip of paper out from under his collar.
“Um,” he said with a blush, “seems we had the same idea. But then you went and took yourself out o’ the auction after winnin’ me, and…” He tore up the paper and grinned.
What? Her legs trembled, and she couldn’t… couldn’t breathe… Her head started swimming, but… the good kind. If it was true.
A warm foreleg settled over her withers, and after a minute, the sparkles faded from her vision. “Tell you what. Tomorrow, dinner’s my treat,” he said.
She nodded and grinned and shook and—and even cried… the good kind. “I’d love to.”